OVER 500 FORMER MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE PARISHES BECOME PART OF UKRAINE'S NEW INDEPENDENT CHURCH
from: Unian

(19 Mar.) President Petro Poroshenko praised the high number of parishes who have already made their decision to join the new church independent of Russian influence. Over 500 parishes have already taken the decision to move from the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine to the newly formed Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

Volyn region remains Ukraine's transition leader with a number of parishes that have switched to the OCU having already exceeded a hundred. The total number of registered religious communities of the former Moscow Patriarchate in the said region is one of the largest in Ukraine – more than 600, according to the Dukhovniy [Religious] Front online outlet. Many parishes also decided to move to the OCU in Vinnytsia, Khmelnytsky, Zhytomyr, Rivne, and Lviv regions.

In particular, in one of the districts of Lviv, all parishes of the former Moscow Patriarchate switched to the OCU. Speaking at a Freedom of Speech panel show on ICTV, President Petro Poroshenko praised the high number of parishes who have already made their decision to join the new church independent of Russian influence.

UNIAN memo: The Unification Council of members of the Ukrainian Orthodox churches in Kyiv on December 15 elected Epifaniy - also known as Epiphanius I - Metropolitan of Pereyaslavsky and Bila Tserkva from the then Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate) as head of the new local Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

On January 6, Epifaniy, as Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, received from Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in Istanbul the tomos of autocephaly (independence) of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. [read more...]

KAZAKHSTAN: MORE RAIDS ON WORSHIP, FINES
by Felix Corley: Forum 18 News Service

(22 Mar.) Police raided a third Baptist church in Taraz, summarily fining two more worshippers. Only one of five now fined did not appeal. On 3 March, Anti-Terrorism Police in the southern city of Taraz raided another Baptist church's Sunday morning meeting for worship. This was the third police raid on a Council of Churches Baptist community in the city since 10 February. Again police issued summary fines - of two months' and one month's average wages - to two church members. These brought to five the number of Baptists in the city given summary police fines for exercising freedom of religion or belief since February.

Four of the five Baptists summarily punished in Taraz, the capital of Zhambyl Region, appealed to court against the fines. As the local police officer failed to turn up to court for the hearings, the appeals have been postponed until April. The fifth Baptist – who is a pensioner – chose not to appeal against his fine. "We don't pay fines voluntarily, so they'll take the money from his pension," a fellow Baptist told Forum 18.

Balgabek Myrzayev, acting head of the Information and Social Development Ministry's Social Harmony Committee (which restricts freedom of religion and belief) in the capital Astana, told Forum 18 on 4 March that he was not informed about the raids on the Baptists and fines in Taraz. Despite claiming that "our laws don't ban praying," Myrzayev defended punishing people who meet for worship without state permission. "Our laws don't allow unregistered religious organisations and I don't have the right to change the law," he told Forum 18. [read more...]

OUR UNITY IN DIVERSITY MAKES US STRONGER THAN UNITY IN THE BARRACKS OF THE "RUSSIAN WORLD" - UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT POROSHENKO
from: Religious Information Service of Ukraine

(22 Mar.) In a meeting with the members of the Nationwide Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, President Petro Poroshenko stressed the importance of continuing the strategy of partnership between the state and religious organizations and assured that all the rights and freedoms of citizens in Ukraine, including religious freedom, are respected.

According to the Head of State, representatives of various religious organizations are now being oppressed in Russia. Recent evidence from the Archbishop of Simferopol and Crimea Klyment is a vivid demonstration of what is happening with religious freedom in the territory of the occupied Crimea, he added.

He noted that at the example of Russia, one can see what a state church is and what can be the situation with the observance of the religious rights and freedoms of the citizens; what are the oppression and persecution of representatives of other denominations, including Ukrainian churches. In particular, there are constant problems in the activities of Roman Catholics, representatives of Protestant organizations can tell about the numerous facts of violations of the rights of representatives of religious organizations in the territories occupied by Russia.

"At the same time, I would like to emphasize that we have an example of a fruitful state-church partnership. A striking example of this partnership is the activity of the Nationwide Council of Churches, which includes 16 churches and religious organizations and one inter-church organization, including Orthodox, Greek and Roman Catholic, Protestant and Evangelical churches, as well as Jewish and Muslim religious organizations," the Head of State stressed.

The President noted: "I am happy that such a religious diversity does not contradict unity. On the contrary, our unity in diversity makes us stronger than unity in the barracks of the 'Russian world'." [read more...]

METROPOLITAN ONUFRY BELIEVES UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (MP) WILL OVERCOME THE SCHISM
from: Interfax-Religion

(19 Mar.) Ambassadors and representatives of six diplomatic missions participated in the Divine liturgy celebrated by Metropolitan Onufry at the Laura of Caves in Kiev on the Day of Triumph of Orthodoxy.

Ambassador of Byelorussia Igor Sokol, Charge d'affaires of Russia Alexander Lukashik, representatives of diplomatic missions of Greece, Moldova, Romania, Serbia attended the service, the Information Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church reports.

"Today Orthodoxy in Ukraine and in the whole world goes through difficult trials, we all know about them. Our heart should not be scared. We firmly believe that the Holy Orthodox Church will overcome these trials as a victory-bearer, it has happened in history many times. It will be the time when the Holy Church will celebrate the victory over current schisms," the metropolitan told diplomats after the service.

The creation of the local Orthodox church of Ukraine backed by the Constantinople Patriarchate and independent of the Moscow Patriarchate was announced at the unification assembly in Kiev on December 15. The new church is made up of representatives of the country's uncanonical church structures. The head of the new church received a tomos on autocephaly from Patriarch Bartholomew on January 6.

No other Orthodox Churches have recognized the new church or agreed to send a delegation to the enthronement. [read more...]

POPE FRANCIS' TRIP AIMS TO THAW CATHOLIC-ORTHODOX RELATIONS IN ROMANIA
from: Crux

(19 Mar.) When Pope Francis lands in Romania in late May, the local Catholic church hopes that he will be able to encourage a "spiritual wind" from the East into Europe and rebuild the chilled relations between the Catholic and Orthodox communities in the country.

"This side of Europe is a little bit more tied to spirituality, it's not yet as predominantly attached to the material world as the West," said Romanian Father Francisc Dobos, spokesman for the Catholic Archdiocese of Bucharest, in a March 18 interview with Crux. "It can become a place to say: 'Europe, wake up! Take a breath from a spiritual point of view'," he added.

The interview took place after a meeting with the press organized by Rome's Opus Dei-run Santa Croce University, to discuss the May 31 to June 2 papal visit to the Eastern European country of Romania.

Over 80 percent of the Romanian population is Eastern Orthodox, with Catholic faithful representing a minority at only 4.7 percent, according to a 2011 census. While dialogue between the two denominations is "peaceful and open," Dobos said during his presentation, it has become "more rigid" and "less fruitful than before."

When Pope Saint John Paul II visited Romania in 1999, he could rely on his strong personal relationship with the then head of the Romanian Orthodox church, Patriarch Teoctist. This bond was manifest in frequent ecumenical displays in the country, from praying together to attending each other's Masses.

But according to local clergy the relationship between Catholics and Orthodox lost most of its enthusiasm once Patriarch Daniel took the helm of the Romanian Orthodox church in 2008. [read more...]

DONBAS: BAPTIST UNION CHURCHES IN LUHANSK FORCED TO HALT PUBLIC WORSHIP
by Felix Corley: Forum 18 News Service

(15 Mar.) Officials of the unrecognised Luhansk People's Republic threatened Baptist Union pastors not to meet for worship, sending "a clear message that they will not tolerate such meetings for worship any more." Officials regard all Protestant churches as "illegal." 82-year-old independent Baptist pastor Anatoly Tolstenko faces court on 21 March. "All Baptist churches that have prayer houses will halt meetings in them, so Sunday worship and other services from 17 March onwards will not take place," Pastor Bandura added. He said church members fear that if they do not halt their worship, officials could raid their worship meetings or arrest church leaders.

The LPR authorities have rejected all registration applications from Protestant communities. "Unfortunately the situation for all Protestant churches is bad," a Protestant from a different community in contact with fellow church members in the region told Forum 18 from the Ukrainian capital Kiev on 14 March. "We do not have registration in the LPR and do not have the right to meet in our buildings, which have been closed."

Meanwhile, about ten masked and armed fighters raided a worship meeting in February of Path of Salvation independent Baptist church in the city of Luhansk. The church's 82-year-old pastor, Anatoly Tolstenko, is due again in court on 21 March accused of leading "illegal worship."

During a search, the men seized books which the authorities of the unrecognised entity have banned as "extremist," including Jehovah's Witness publications. Friends of the community insist the armed fighters planted the books. "These were not their books – the men planted them," Sergei Kosyak, a Protestant and former resident of Donetsk, told Forum 18.

Elsewhere, court bailiffs in Krasnodon have demanded that the pastor of a Council of Churches Baptist congregation, Vladimir Rytikov, must surrender his 1987 Volkswagen on 21 March to meet an unpaid fine and expenses of nearly 9,000 Russian Roubles (the LPR uses the Russian Rouble). The head of the Krasnodon bailiffs told Forum 18 she was not authorised to discuss with third parties moves to recover debts from individuals. [read more...]

BELARUS: OFFICIALS BAR POLISH CATHOLIC PRIEST'S RETURN, CHURCH'S REGISTRATION
from Forum 18 News Service

FILARET EXPRESSES INTEREST IN REWRITING OCU CHARTER
from Religious Information Service of Ukraine

EASTERN UKRAINE: RE-REGISTRATION DEMAND CLOSES CHURCHES
from Mission Network News

SOME 25% OF RUSSIAN ORTHODOX WORSHIPERS KEEP THE FASTS – POLL
from Interfax-Religion

ST. JOHN CASSIAN’S INSTITUTES: GLUTTONY
from Orthodox Christianity

UKRAINIAN SECURITY SERVICE SUSPECTS MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE PRIEST OF ROVNO DIOCESE OF INCITING CONFLICT
from Interfax-Religiia

METROPOLITAN HILARION SPEAKS ON AID TO CHILDREN IN SYRIA AT THE CONGRESS ON PHYSICAL AND REHABILITATIONAL MEDICINE IN PAEDIATRICS
from Russian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate

CHINA: "WEST USING CHRISTIANITY TO SUBVERT OUR GOVERNMENT"
from ChristianPersecution.com

US CATHOLICS’ AWARENESS OF CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION INCREASING
from Eurasia Review

AHEAD OF ROMANIA TRIP, POPE RECOGNIZES SEVEN MARTYRS UNDER COMMUNISM
from Crux

PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW PROVIDES HISTORICAL PRECEDENTS FOR UKRAINE DECISION
from Ukrainian Weekly

in our first news article OVER 500 FORMER MOSCOW PATRIARCHATE PARISHES BECOME PART OF UKRAINE'S NEW INDEPENDENT CHURCH we read that the total number of parishes which have switched from the "Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine" (formerly known as the Moscow Patriarchate) to the new Orthodox Church of Ukraine has surpassed 500. Just a few weeks ago it was around 400, so the count is growing at a significant pace. Most Orthodox Christians are quite concerned about being members of a parish that is "canonical" - recognized by Eastern Orthodox Churches worldwide. For this reason, many Ukrainians held off in the past from joining a Kyiv Patriarchate parish because they were "uncanonical" and thus considered "schismatic," just about as bad as being considered "heretical." But the new Orthodox Church of Ukraine is canonical, recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and other Orthodox Churches, so it is projected to continue growing.

And KAZAKHSTAN: MORE RAIDS ON WORSHIP, FINES, our second news article, tells of unregistered Baptists again being raided and fined by the "Anti-Terrorism Police" for meeting without registration from the state. In other words, praying without state permission is "terrorism" in Kazakhstan, which is a signatory to international treaties that guarantee freedom of worship, but the Kazakh government chooses to ignore such treaties that take precedence over its own "Anti-Terrorism" laws.

The third news article OUR UNITY IN DIVERSITY MAKES US STRONGER THAN UNITY IN THE BARRACKS OF THE "RUSSIAN WORLD" - UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT POROSHENKO relates how Ukraine is following the principle of religious freedom rather than dictating to or pressuring people about their religious affiliation. This is the path chosen by the majority of western countries. But it can contain pitfalls: some people may conclude that if they are free to choose which religion if any to follow, then it doesn't make any difference which religion one chooses, leading to a philosophy of relativism - there's no absolute truth, everything is relative. Also, if one can believe in anything in general he may conclude that he should believe nothing in particular, and view those who firmly believe in one particular faith as religious bigots or fanatics. So religious freedom is basically good, but in can be misused.

In METROPOLITAN ONUFRY BELIEVES UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (MP) WILL OVERCOME THE SCHISM - our fourth news article - we read how this Moscow-oriented hierarch still believes that Moscow will "overcome the schism," that is, Russia will force Ukraine to abandon its new Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and come back under Russia's wings like a chick running to its mother hen. Really?! After Russia has killed over 13,000 Ukrainians, displaced over a million Ukrainian citizens, invaded and annexed the Crimean penninsula, and siezed huge chunks of Ukraine's eastern territory, does Metropolitan Onufry really believe Ukraine will gladly return to the Russian fold?

Our fifth news article POPE FRANCIS' TRIP AIMS TO THAW CATHOLIC-ORTHODOX RELATIONS IN ROMANIA explains how the Roman Pope will try to warm up Catholic-Orthodox relations on his upcoming trip there. I doubt this will happen because Romania is a staunchly Orthodox country with a high percentage of committed Orthodox Christians who hold firmly to their faith. Although their language is Latin-based, not a Slavic language, Romanians chose Eastern Orthodoxy over Roman Catholicism more than 1,000 years ago.

It is very disheartening to read in our sixth news article DONBAS: BAPTIST UNION CHURCHES IN LUHANSK FORCED TO HALT PUBLIC WORSHIP how the Russia-backed "Luhansk People's Republic" is reverting back to Soviet-style antireligious tactics of banning and closing non-Russin-Orthodox churches. Even the name "People's Republic" echos the communist ideology. Rather than referring to "the fall of communism in 1991" we should refer to it as "the 1991 dissolution of the USSR" because it appears that communism is alive and well in Russia, just operating under a different name.